Japan

An international showcase of impressive recent animation in a wide array of techniques, digital and analogue, with an emphasis on the abstract and the expressive – and a few gag-based pieces too.

The latest, superbly animated classic from Studio Ghibli’s Miyazaki Goro is the tender 60s tale of schoolgirl Umi and her dashing friend Shun. Completely charming, Poppy Hill does not reserve its many treasures for children alone.

A far-out double feature from the Far East. Body horror from Japan (Henge) plus a hapless one-handed Korean detective on the search for a unique timepiece that may or may not be able to alter time itself (Young Gun in the Time).

Japanese provocateur Sono Sion (Love Exposure) shot this radical tale of teen rage in post-tsunami landscapes. “A near-masterpiece from one of the most significant Japanese directors working today.” — Little White Lies

This deeply charming, kid-centred film contains a multitude of perspectives to surprise and delight audiences from nine to ninety.

Top prize winner at the Amsterdam Doc Festival, this exquisite Korean film follows the daily routine of a deaf-blind man and his tiny wife. “Cinematic love stories don’t come more convincing or singular than this.” — Village Voice

A far-out double feature from the Far East. Body horror from Japan (Henge) plus a hapless one-handed Korean detective on the search for a unique timepiece that may or may not be able to alter time itself (Young Gun in the Time).